Beval Jumping Saddles

[Yospaghetti]

Hi!
I am on the hunt for an used jumping saddle and was told that Beval (not Butet) is a good durable brand.

i came across several models, can someone please tell me what the differences are and how they rank:

The Natural
Artisan
Solaris

is one model particularly better than the other?

thank you!!!

 

[sbloom]

I know little about Beval, rarely seen or discussed in the UK, are you in the US out of interest?

And you can't say one model would be better than another, you could talk about elements for instance if one was flocked and one foam, but otherwise it's only ever about how well it fits horse and rider. It's rare than a model is especially useless (there are one or two out there IMO!), just about finding the right one for the pair of you.

The other question is ALWAYS, is there a good fitter you can use for the brand?

 

[Yospaghetti]

Thank you for the reply, yes I am in the US.

this brand was recommended by my trainer since Inhave a small budget to work with. I know very little about the brand and I cant seem to find a lot of information online:/

Im not sure if there’s a local Beval fitter available ? I’d assume any expert saddle fitter might be able to help with the fitting, i hope!

 

[sbloom]

I'm afraid you'll find very little in the UK, I would post on COTH.

As a saddle fitter of 12 years I would recommend not going on a trainer's recommendation of what might fit a horse - personally I'm not a big fan of French saddles full stop, they have very limited tree shapes and are usually on foam panels, with narrow twists. Look up The Truth Tack Review on Youtube to see an example of the materials they use in the panels. They won't really be adjustable (possibly in the tree, not in the panel which has to be returned to the maker to put a whole new panel on if it no longer fits), and are more likely to be sold by reps who are really not fitters in many cases.

I would hunt for a great local fitter, ask them to bring stock and have your trainer there so she can judge the fit tor you. If you really only have access to reps (as I know is often the situation in the US) I would still recommend working with someone like Kitt Hazelton of Panther Run Saddlery remotely, unless you can go on massive levels of recommendation for a rep for a brand that looks like it might fit your horse.

 

[ecb89]

That’s interesting. I asked my very good saddler of his thoughts about french brands and he said exactly the same as you.

Edit - that was meant to quote sbloom but it hasn’t.

 

[sbloom]

That’s interesting. I asked my very good saddler of his thoughts about french brands and he said exactly the same as you.

Edit - that was meant to quote sbloom but it hasn’t.

Anyone trained in the UK or with the MSFC (France as it happens!) will not be a fan overall, some brands are better than others but they have narrow twists/rails and generally low tech foam, can't be adjusted in the panel, or, in most cases and as far as I know, in the tree. Pro yards that use them usually have a selection of them so can swap from one saddle to another as required.

 

[sbloom]

My graphic designer OH has converted the Latif research summary pdf to jpeg so I can host it on my FB page - https://www.facebook.com/stephaniebloom.saddlefitter/photos/3815038791878023

 

[Yospaghetti]

Thank you all for the helpful advice, this is super helpful for saddle beginners like myself, i had never known such things about French saddles! The one I laid my eyes on does indeed have narrow tree 4.25, so it might not work for my 16.3hh horse :/

 

[sbloom]

Thank you all for the helpful advice, this is super helpful for saddle beginners like myself, i had never known such things about French saddles! The one I laid my eyes on does indeed have narrow tree 4.25, so it might not work for my 16.3hh horse :/

4.25 means nothing to me sadly, you can't easily tell how wide the twist is, its the bit where your crotch is, and can't be discerned from the two seams running from front to back. The height of your horse tells you very little about how wide it might be, at the front of the saddle, ie the stated width MW, W, XW etc. I specialise in the widest fits and most commonly fit 14hh-15hh but tiny ponies can be super wide.

Work with a good fitter, read all you can about saddle fit (there are many different approaches to English saddle fit, but Kitt's blog is a good place to start - saddlefitter.blogspot) and go from there.